Garment-drying apparatus



Filed Jan. s, 1928 4 sheets-sheet :1

m A TTORNEY I'.

y 1930. B. KELLEY GARMENT DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ,EZa 2 @226 fl BY 6) July 1, 1930. B. KELLEY 1,769,882

GARMENT DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N VEN TOR.

urea/vi?? patented July 1, 1930 BLAINE KELLEY, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

GARMENT-DRYING APPARATUS- Application filed January 6, 1928. Serial No. 244,831.

This invention relates to garment drying apparatus of the general type disclosed in co-pending application, Serial Number 206,593, filed July 18, 1927, wherein means 5 is provided for supportingand holding a garment in distended condition, and wherein means is provided for forcing air under pressure through the garment for drying the same while being so supported and held.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a garment drying apparatus of the above kin-d by means of which the simultaneous and thorough drying of a plurality of garments in properly stretched condition, may be accomplished with facility and ease.

A further object is to provide a garment drying apparatus of the above type including means for supporting and holding a plurality of garments in distended condition, and means for forcing a current of air against said garmentsfor drying the same, one of said means being movable relative to the other so as to successively subject said garments to the action of said current of air.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a garment drying apparatus of the above kind embodying rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments in distended condition, and means for forcing air under pressure in the path of travel of the garments when rotated with the garment supporting means so as to successively force air under pressure through and along the outer surfaces of the successive garments as they pass said air forcing means, thereby effectively drying all of the garments simultaneously in a minimum amount of time.

More particularly, the invention aims to provide a garment drying apparatus characterized as above, wherein the air forcing is positionable to force the air at an angle to the axis of rotation of the garment .ipporting means for thereby effecting the rotation of the latter and the garments as well as directing the air against and through the garment in such manner as to give a most effective drying action.

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her objects are to provide means for liable in operation.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein lilrereference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

. Figure '1 is an elevational view of a garment drying apparatus embodying the pres ent invention; a

Figure 2 is a view thereof substantially in central vertical section;

FigureB is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Figure l, with parts omitte'd'for sake of clearness Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken upon line 4-4; of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1,;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line 66 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 77 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an clevational view of the air forcing unit, illustrating the manner of releasing and elevating the extensible leg for adjustably tilting said unit;

Figure 8? is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the manner of mounting the adjustable or extensible leg upon one of the fixed legs of the air forcing unit; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing thenianner of mounting the garment engaging clips upon the supporting ring therefor.

of the le to the ra 'atin arms of a spi Referring more in detail to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention illustrated consists of a supporting base preferably composed of four equally spaced radially arranged leg members 5 rigidly and detachably fastened as at 6 at their upper ends to the sides of a socket member 7 in which is secured the lower endof a vertical post 8, as by means of a set screw 9. The leg members if have inwardly directed horizontal extensions 10 upon their lower ends, and the inner ends extensions 10 are rigidly fastened 1' element 11 as by means screws 12 or the like. The 1 members are braced against lateral shifting and outward separation by means of serially arranged horizontal braces 13 connwting the extensions of adjacent ones of the leg members 5, the braces 13 being removably attached as at 14 so as to permit the read assemblage or disassembly of the base for za cilitating storage or shipment as well aereplacement of parts.

The 8 is preferably of hollow cylindrical arm as shown, and means is rotatably mounted upon this st for simultaneously supporting a plurality of garments in disten ed condition and for being dried. The garment supporting means includes a relatively large casting or spider 15, rotatably and 'removably dis osed on the post 8 direetly above the so at member 7 and carry ing a plurality of equally spaced horizontal supporting rings 16, each of which carries a plurality of spaced upstanding garment engaging clips 17. A supporting ring 16 is imsed between each pair of a jacent arms of spider 15 and removably secured thereto as by means of screws 18, while the inner sides of the rim 16 are similarly attached as at '19 to arche braces arranged between and connecting adjacent legs of the spider 15 as clearly shown in Figure 3. The clips 17 are uniformly spaced about the rings 16, and elch ring with its associated clips thus forms a means for engaging the lower end of a garment and holding the same in open distendedcondition. As shown clearly in Figure 9, each clip 17 is carried by the upper end of a fairly stifl but flexible helical spring 18 whose lower and is provided with a depending vertical eye 19' removably and firmly secured to the associated ring 16 by bolting through the eye 19 as at 20'. In this way new clips may be readily substituted for dame d ones, and the clips will be effective- 1y! maintained in an upstanding position to ready accessibility and engagement with the garment. This is a material advantage over prior devices wherein the springs were quite limber Ind permitted the clips to hang down in various ways so as to necessitate groping for the clips inorder to position the same intent with the garment.

W Garment hanging means is associated with and disposed above each of the rings 16, and for this purpose a multiple garment hanging unit is rotatably mounted upon the post 8 so as to be carried by and to rotate with the spider 15. This multiple garment hanging unit consists of a pair of spaced horizontal disks 21 and 22 rotatably and removably fitted on the post 8 and rigidly connected by a plurality of vertical bars 23 whose ends may be welded or otherwise fastened to the disks 21 and 22, the lower disk 21 being detachably fastened upon the hub of the spider 15 by means of screws 24: or the like. It will be noted that the upper disk 22 is disposed near the'upper end of the post 8, while the hub of the spider 15 is placed upon a suitable antifriction thrust bearing 25 disposed between the underside thereof and the upper end of the socket member 7 The bars 23 are arranged so that one is disposed at the inner side of each supporting ring 16 as clearly shown in Figure 3, and fastened at its inner end to the upper end of each bar 23 is a horizontal supporting arm 26, the outer end of which overhangs the associated ring 16 at approximately the vertical center of the latter. The supporting arms 27 are hinged to the bars 23 so as to swing downwardly to collapsed position when not required for use such as during shipment or storage, and releasable inclined braces 27 are'provided between the supporting arms 26 and lower portions of the bars 23 for maintaining the arms 26 in their raised horizontal operative positions. Guide pulleys 28 and 29 are respectively mounted adjacent the outer and inner ends of each supporting arm 26, and passing over each pair of pulleys 28 and 29 is a flexible member or cord 30, the outer end of which carries a ring 31 in which the suspending hook of the garment hanger may be engaged. The inner end of each cord is adapted to be ad1ustably engaged with a suitable cord holder 32, one of which is vertically adjustable on each of the bars 23 substantially as disclosed in Figure 8 of my above mentioned copending application. In view of the above it will be seen that a garment may be suspended from a hanger engaged with the ring 31 of each suspension cord 30, thus permitting a plurality of garments to be simultaneously suspended upon the rotatable garment supporting means in spaced relation about the post 8, the lower ends of the garments being respectively held in open distended condition by engagement of the clips 17 with the lower ends thereof. In use, the garments are suspended initially by the use of an ordinary coat hanger which is used to carry the garment from the drying device after the drying operation has been completed. However, these coat hangers may be temporaril left in the upper parts of the garments whiie disengaged from the rings 31 during the drying operation, the upper portions of the garments being held in laterally stretched ordistended condition at such times by the use of a special garment hanger and stretcher such as is shown at 33 in Figure. 1 and specifically described and claimed in my co-pending application upon Garment hanging and stretcl'iing device, Serial No. 225,097, filed January 7, 1928. As is clearly explained in my first above mentioned co-pending application and is. also generally well known in the art, the garments are placed under longitudinal-tension after being engaged by the clips 17, by pulling, upon the cords and elevating the garment hangers suspended therefrom. When the garments are thus held under longitudinal tension, the cord holders 30 will be tilted to grip the bars 23 and remain in ads justed positions, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2.

Means is provided for forcing a current of air upwardly through the garments when the latter are supported and held in distended condition, and such means includes an air forcing unit of a portable nature adapted to be arranged upon the floor beneath one of the rings 16., This air forcing unit consists of a foraminous casing 34:, centrally within the lower portion of which is mounted an upright motor operated fan 35, and which is provided with a plurality of spaced supporting legs 36 equipped at their lower ends with casters 37. It will thus be seen that as the garments are rotated about the post 8 they will be successively brought into position above the air forcing unit so that a current of air will be passed upwardly therethrough for drying purposes, the current of air also passing along the outer surfaces of the garments as they move to and from position ovei the air forcing unit; In order that the multi ple garment supporting and distending means may be rotated about the post S,the air forcing unit is positionable or tiltable at an angle to the vertical, thus enabling the current of air to be directed upwardly at an angle or inclination and thereby act. upon the garments to cause thegarment supporting and distending means and the garments carried thereby to turn about the post 3 as the crying operation progresses. In this way a plurality of garments may be simultaneously dried in a much shorter time than can be accomplished by separately and completely dryin the same number of garments individually and successively, the rapid rotation of the garments having a drying effect inde pendent of the upwardly forced current of air derived from the air forcing unit. Moreover, by this arrangement, the current of air is directed in'a most efficient manner along the outsides of the garments aswell as up wardly through the-same, thereby insuring thorough drying of external trimmings, sleeves, and the like. In order to effect sup-- porting of the air forcing unit in a tilted position, one of the legs is provided with an adjustable leg extension'38 as inore'clearly shown in Figures 8 and 8. This leg extenion is provided atits upper endwith a laterally extending loop 39 loosely embracing the adjacentleg 36 directly below an inturned grippingnose or lug 40 provided upon the upper end of said leg extension 38. It is thus apparent that when the lower end portion of the leg extension is swung outwardly from the associated leg 36, the elements 39 and 40 will be brought into engagement with opposite sides of the leg for firm gripping engagement with the latter, thus maintainingthe leg extension in adjusted position wherein its weight of the air forcing unit imposed thereon will tend to increase the gripping engage ment with the associated leg 36 to maintain the adjusted position of the leg extension when in use. The tilted position of the leg extension and gripping engagement with the associated leg 36 at 39 and 40 is normally yieldingly eilected by interposing a compression spring 41 between the inner side of the leg extension and the outer side of the associated leg 36 at a pointbelow the loop 39, said spring being preferably of the leaf type as shown and attached in a suitable manner at one end to the leg extension 38. This construction is especially desirable as it permits of adjustable tilting of the air forcing unit so that the angle at which the current of air is forced upwardly may be varied within certain limits to thereby v ry the action of the current of air upon the garments and effect changes in speed of rotation of the multiple garment hanging and distending means. Moreover, the leg extension 38 is adjustable upwardly for a suliicient distance to position its lower end above the lower portion of the caster of the associated leg 36, to thereby permit vertical positioning of the fan of the air forcing unit under certain conditions of use as will be later made apparent. In order to facilitate release of the gripping engagement of the elements 39 and 40 with the leg 36 so as to facilitate elevation of the leg extension 38 to the required position, said leg extension is provided near its lower end with a lateral outwardly projecting toe piece e2 beneath which the operator may engage the toe of one foot for pressing inwardly on the lowor end of the leg extension and upwardly thereon to efiect its release and upward movement. This is clearly illustrated in Figure 8 and the lug l2 is shown as provided by re turn bending and outwardly directing the lower end portion of the leg extension. I

it will sometimes be found expedient to employ two air forcing units in a vertical namtilted position, one beneath each of a pair of opposite su portin rings 16 and the glrlnmtssupporte and he dthereabove. In 8M1! case, the garments may be placed upon the remaining two opposite supportin and diflending devices while others are ing dried above the first mentioned rings 16, and when the latter garments are dried, the garmeat holding and distending means may be turned a quarter revolution to move the dried garments out of position above the air foroingunits and the new garments to be dried into position above said units. This alternate use of thedevice is found desirable in connection with the drying of certain garms and will permit of the drying of a plurality of garments with a minimum loss of time, the hangi and distending of two garmanta taking p ace during the interval of ing of two other garments so that when said two other garments have been dried all that isnecessary is to move the new garments into position over the air forcing units by turning the garment distending and supporting means for a proper distance around the post 8.

Provision is also made for enabling use of the device for drying of material and garmerits other than coats, dresses, skirts and the lilac, which are characterized by requiring holding of the lower ends thereof in open distended condition. For this purpose, a diametric bar43 is mounted within each supporting ring 16 and carries a plurality of upstanding clips 17'. As an example of this use, the clips 17 may be engaged with the lower ends of the legs of a pair of trousers, the up er end of the latter being suitably suspended by a hanger engaged with the supporting ring 31 of the associated suspension cord 30. However, the construction will lend itself to various manners of uses and the drying of various forms of garments and fabrics as will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

To facilitate to a still further degree the rotation and thorough drying of garments when the lower air forcing unit is employed to rotate the garment supporting and distendin means, and especially to insure thorough rying of collars, sleeves and the like, an overhead air forcing means is preferably employed including a fan 44 arranged to force a current of air downwardly at an angle onto and along the outer surface of the garments in the direction of movement of the atter as they pass above the lower air forcing unit or beneath the fan 44. As shown, the fan 44 is carried by the lower end of the slightly inclined but substantially vertical armature shaft of a motor 45 suitably mounted upon and to one side of the upper end of the post 8. As shown, a post extension 46 is provided having a reduced lower end re- II movably and rotatably fitted in the upper end of the post 8 as at 47, and carried by the post extension 46 intermediate its ends is a hori zontal cross bar consisting of a pair of similar strap members 48 fastened intermediate their ends to opposite sides of the post extension 46 as at 49. The strap members 48 have end portions 50 at one side of the post 8 which are laterally offset away from each other and between which the motor 45 is firmly clamped and mounted. A counter-balance weight 51 is suspended from the opposite end of the cross ar composed of straps 48 so as to oflset the weight of the motor 45 and avoid the latter from offering a tilting strain upon the strap members 48 such as to destroy their operative horizontal positions. The horizontal operative position of the strap members 48 is further maintained by the use of inclined braces 52 extending between the intermediate portions of the oppositely projecting arms of the cross bar straps 48 and the upper end of the post extension 46. The end of the cross bar at the outer side of the motor 45 may be equipped with a suitable depending handle 53 to facilitate turning of the post extension 46 relative to the post 8, and to thereby enable swinging of the overhead motor operated fan about the post 8 to the desired osition. The strap members 48 of the cross ar are preferably bolted together as at 54 so as to removably secure the motor 45 of the overhead fan 44 in place.

In the practical use of the apparatus, the hook of a garment hanger having a garment suspended thereon may be engaged in the ring 31 of each suspension cord 30, and the clips 17' of each supporting ring 16 may be engaged with the lower end of the garment sus ended thereabove for holding the lower en of the garment in open distended condition. Spec1a1 garment hangers and stretchers may then be inserted in the upper ends of the garments, of the type indicated at 33 so as to stretch the shoulder and body ortions of the garments and insuring dryin thereof without lateral shrinkage, the or inary garment hangers being temporarily disengaged from the rings 33 and allowed to remain in the upper portions of the garments while the suspension hooks of the garment I hangers and stretchers 33 are engaged therewith, during the drying operation. In this way, the conventional hangers may be employed in carrying the garments after being dried and after removal of the special garment stretching and hanging devices 33. Any suitable means may be provided for controlling the operation of the motor operated fans,'and the several most practical modes of employing the device for garment drying urposes have been clearly explained above uring the course of the specific de scription. It is accordingly believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that I am aware of the fact that the present broad invention is susceptible of considerable modification and numerous changes in construction, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the particular embodiment of the invention which is shown by way of example as at present considered preferable. Obviously, it is not essential that the garments be supported vertically to require the current of air to be forced upwardly therethrough. Also, by moving or rotating the fan or fans and allowing the garments to remain stationary, the same general results may be secured. In other words, it is only essential that there be relative travel or movement between the air forcing means and the garments, to successively subject the latter to the action of said air forcing means.

What I claim as new is 2- 1. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments and holding the same in distended condition, and means mounted independently of the drier and rotatable means for forcing a current of air through and along the outer surfaces of the garments as they are successively moved into and out of the path of the air current by rotation of said garment supporting and holding means.

2. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments and holding the same in distended condition, and manually shiftable and transportable means independent of the garment supporting means for forcing a current of air through and against the successive garments at an angle to the axis of rotation of said garment supporting and holding means and causing rotation of the latter.

3. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments and holding the same in distended condition, manually shiftable and transportable means independent of the garment supporting means for forcing a current of air through and along the outer surfaces of the garments as they are successively moved into and out of the path of the air current by rotation of said garment supporting and holding means, the speed of rotation of said garment supporting and holding means being controlled by the angular disposition of the air forcing means relative thereto.

4:. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments and holding the same in distended condition, means therebeneath for forcing a current of air upwardly through and against the successive garments at an angle to the axis of rotation of said garment supporting and holding means and causing rotation of the latter, and means to adjust the position of said air forcing means to vary the angle of the path of the air current relative to said axis of rotation and thereby vary the speed of rotation of said garment supporting and holding means.

5. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments and holding the same in distended condition, means for forcing a current of air upwardly through and along the outer surfaces of the garments as they are successively moved into and out of the path of the air current by rotation of said garment supporting and holding meanaand an overhead fan for forcing a current of air downwardly onto the garments as they are successively moved therebeneath.

- 6. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting a plurality of garments and holding the lower ends thereof in distended condition, means for forcing a current of air upwardly through the garments, said air forcing means embodying a portable unit adapted to be placed upon the floor beneath the garment distending means and provided with supporting legs, and an adjustable extension carried by one of the legs for supporting the unit in different tilted positions and directing the current of air upwardly through andagainst the garmentsat difierent angles to cause rotation of the garment supporting means atdesireddifierent speeds.

7. In a garment drier, movable means for supporting and holding a plurality of garments in distended condition and for travel in an orbital path, and means shiftably mounted relative to the movable means to force a current of air through the garments as they successively pass a given point in said path and to move the movable means in the orbital path.

8. In a garment drier, movable means for supporting and holding a plurality of garments in distended condition and for travel in an orbital path, and means movable independently of the drierframe and garment supporting means to force a current of air through the garments as they successively pass a given point in said path, said air forcing means being adapted to direct the air current at an angle for acting upon the garments and causing said supporting means and the garments carried thereby to travel in said path.

9. In a garment drier, an upright post having a supporting base, a unit rotatably mounted on the post including a plurality of vertical bars disposed in spaced relation about the post and having radial supporting arms at their upper ends, cord holders vertically adjustable on said bars, adjustable garment hanger suspending cords associated with the supporting arms and engageable with the cord holders, means rotatable on the post for holding the lower ends of the garments in distended condition, said last named Ian means embodying a spider upon which said unit is secured, and horizontal rings carried by and between the legs of said spider and garment engaging clips.

10. n a garment drier, an upright supporting post, means rotatably mounted on said post for hanging a plurality of garments in aimed relation about the latter, means rotata 1e on the post for holding the lower ends 1 of the garments in distended condition, and

an overhead fan removably mounted on the upper end of the post.

11. In a garment drier, an upright supporting post, means rotatably mounted on it said post for hanging a plurality of garmeats in spaced relation about the latter, means rotatable on the post for holding the lower ends of the garments in distended condition, a cross bar rotatably mounted on the upper end of the post, a motor-operated fan carried by one end of said cross bar, and a counter-balance weight carried by the other and of said cross ba "12. In a arment drier, means for supporting and he ding a plurality of garments in distended condition, and means to force a a current of air onto said garments for drying the same, said means comprising separate devices, one of which is movable relative to 39 the other for successively subjecting the garments to the action of said current of air.

18. In a garment drier, rotatable means for supporting and holding a plurality of garments in distended condition, means to force 35 a current of air onto the garments at an angle to cause rotation of the supporting and holding means and the garments carried thereby, and further means simultaneously to force a current of air through the garments in a difierent direction.

'14. In a garment drier, rotatable means for Supporting and holding a plurality of garments in distended condition, means to orce a current of air onto the garments at an 5 angle to cause rotation of the supporting and he ding means and the garments carried thereb and further means to simultaneous 1y to orce a current of air through the garments in a different direction at an angle to 0 in rotating said supporting and holdmeans.

testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BLAINE KELLEY. 

